Improvement in ink-wells



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. U. BROW'NELL, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN INK-WELLS.

Specification forming part of Leiters Patent No. 47,616, dated May 9, 1865; antcdated April 24, 1865.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN U. Bnow- NELL, of lilast Orange, in the county ot' Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ink-VVells; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of my ink-Well opened for use. Fig. 2 is a plan of the top or cover of the well, and Fig 3 is a view of' the under side of' the saine. Fig. 4 is a plan oi' the lid or cover of the pen-holes. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan of the ring to which the ink-well may be fastened. Fig. 7 is a view of the under side of the saine.

The nature of my said invention consists in constructing an ink-well with a lid which can be locked and unlocked by means of a screwdriver or other suitable instrument, and so that it may be used as a means of turning the ink- Well or its top or cover for the purpose of fastening it tothe desk or socket, also in providing an oval-shaped socket in which the inkwell may be secured by wedging when turned.

In the drawings, A A, Fig.1, is an ink-well suspended by its lip in a socket prepared in the desk or stand B B. Around the socket is a ring, C U, fastened to the desk by screws, and iliade on the inside of an oval form. at the bottom and circular at the top, which is equivalent to an oval-shaped ring with a flange at the top. It has also two spaces, R R, in the flange to admit lugs. The top ofthe ink-well E has two holes for the pen W' W, and on its under side, Fig. 2, is a circular projection, J J, on which are two lugs, L L. It has also two curved wed ges or projections, u u, surrounding the hole for the pivot, with spaces e n between them, and with a projection, ou the thick end of each wedge. S is a pivot passing through the lid and confining it to the cover by means of the cross-bar or oblong head t, which is of proper form to lie in the spaces fu v when the lid is raised. The top of the inkwell has a projection, p, `oblong in shape, through which passes the pivot S.

On the under side ofsthe lid, Fig. 5, are two circular projections, m m, suitable to iitinto the pen-holes W W when they are to be closed, and between these is an indentation, l, of size and depth proper to admit the projection p, also a similar indentation of less depth crossing I, and marked n n in the drawings. pivot S has a head like a screw, adapted to be turned by a screw-driver, and is of sufficient length to admit of' raising the lid as high as the projection p.

The well A being placed in its socket, and the ring C fastened to the desk, the cover E is placed over it so that the lugs L L shall enter the spaces R R. Then, the lid being closed, the projections m` m will be in the holes W W, and by pressing against the lid with the thumb and finger the cover E may be turned round until the lugs are made to pass under the flange and are wedged firmly against the sides of the oval rin g, by which means the cover will be effectually fastened to the desk and secured against accidental upsetting or removal from it, while by using sufiicient force a teacher can fasten it so that pupils cannot remove it. By turning in the opposite direction the cover will bc loosened, and then may be easily removed for the purpose of cleaning or filling the well.

The pen-holes are uncovered by raising the lid and then turning it on the pivot. When fully opened, the indentation n n corresponds with the projection p, and the lid resting on said projection is kept open until it is again raised and turned. W hen it is closed, the projections m m fill the holes W W, and the projection p also fits into the indentation I, by which opening the lid by dusting the desk or in any accidental Inanner is prevented. 1f while the lid is closed the pivot S be turned, the cross-bar t, which is firmly fastened to it, will be made to lie across the projecting wedges u u,which in effect shorteus the pivot and prevents any raising of the lid or access to the ink until the pivot is turned back and the crossbar made to correspond with the spaces o fv. It is prevented from passing beyond the proper point by the projections w m.

This ink-well is particularly adapted for schools, because by these devices it may be secured to the desk so as to guard against accidental upsetting, and its mouth may be et'- fectually locked, when desired, and as easily unlocked or removed from the desk, thus enabling the teacher to prevent the evaporation of ink, as well as its frequent spilling, and also the mischievous playing with it, so common The among young pupils. It is also Well adapted to desks occupied by two pupils, as both may dip the pen at the same time.

It is evident that the pivot may be made of a peculiar shape, and he sunk below the surface ot the lid, so as to be turned'only by a peculiar keyas a watch-key, for exampleand also that the ink-well and cover may be joined together and made of any suitable Inalocked by means of a key or other suitable iustrument, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The use of an oval-shaped flanged ring or socket, in combination with an ink-Well or its cover or top, constructed so as to be fastened to or loosened from a desk by turning, substantially as specified.

4. Constructing an inkwell whose top or cover can be fastened to or loosened from a desk or socket by turning with a lid or penhole cover so constructed that it may be used as a means of turning the same7 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

F. U. BROWN ELL.

Vifitnesses:

N. C. BOARDMAN, BENJ. S. DnMAunsT. 

